Self esteem—these children have come to believe that one of their parents does not love them, is unworthy of their love, and is someone with whom it is unwise to identify.

Corrupted moral compass—they have been encouraged to be disrespectful, ungrateful, entitled, and parentified.

Lack of independence—they have been encouraged to be overly dependent on the alienating parent’s acceptance.

Relapse prevention—they are under constant pressure to behave a certain way in order to avoid the rejection of the alienating parent.

Loss of identity—if it is unsafe to identify with the rejected parent then certain parts of the self identity may become lost as well. The alienating mother or father who denigrates the father or mother for his/her academic abilities will create difficulty for a child embracing their own academic or creative interests and talents.

Credit: By Amy J.L. Baker, PhD, and Katherine Andre, PhD

Credit:Todd Ristorcelli andSarah Kinbar

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About cathycooper

Cathy Cooper and Paul Collins are residents of Midcoast Maine involved in divorce, custody and parental issues. One from the sideline and the other from personal experience. Both working on Family Court and Guardian ad litem reform through education and political process.

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About the Authors

Cathy and Paul are residents of the Midcoast area of Maine involved
in divorce, custody and parental issues. One from personal experiences
the other from the sidelines. Working to change a badly broken system
through education and political action.